What started out as an apparent need for fluids turned into a likely need for surgery, a development that sounds flatly bizarre – until remembering these are the Angels.

The team that never seems to get a break when it comes to injuries this time received a tear, a devastating one, one that probably means its best starting pitcher will be out until at least mid-2017, casting more immediate uncertainty upon a group already struggling to hold together hope.

“This was a total shock,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “This was something that surprised us all.”

Garrett Richards is just a second opinion away from Tommy John surgery, the Angels making the announcement Friday, only a few days after they thought the fatigue he felt on the road was the result of something as simple as dehydration.

Instead, in a stunning instant, Richards became the fourth Angels starting pitcher to have his season impacted by a significant injury, a one-time area of depth now a full-blown area of concern.

And, just as quickly and stunningly, General Manager Billy Eppler was fielding questions about possibly giving up on this season in the interest of rebuilding and – hold your breath, Angels fans – even maybe trading Mike Trout?

“No chance,” Eppler said in response to the latter. “You do not move superstar players.”

As for the former option, Eppler explained that the season is still too young.

“We’re not at that point,” he said. “We’re going to fight.”

There’s no question the Angels will fight because the Angels always fight. It’s hard to imagine a team managed by Scioscia not doing so.

Last season, the Angels refused to succumb to frustrating inconsistency, a front-office shakeup or a disastrous August, rallying to extend their playoff chances until the 162nd game.

No, it’s not a question of fight with this team; it’s a question of what the Angels have to fight with.

On Friday, not even five weeks into the season, they found themselves starting a long reliever, Cory Rasmus, Scioscia already forced to rely on his bullpen in get through the entire nine innings.

Tampa Bay, conversely, started Chris Archer, an All-Star last season.

“We’ll deal with it one step at a time,” Scioscia explained. “We’re going to take this one turn around the rotation and see where we are.”

Where the Angels are, from all appearances, is in trouble. They already are without starters Tyler Skaggs, C.J. Wilson and Andrew Heaney because of injuries. The three are in various stages of comeback, though none appears particularly close to returning.

Matt Shoemaker already has been demoted because of poor performance, going down to Triple-A Salt Lake, where he joined a rotation that includes the likes of Nate Smith and Kyle Kendrick, the sort of pitchers who appear in spring training but then typically fade away.

On Friday, former major leaguer Tim Lincecum threw in Arizona for any interested teams. The Angels are interested.

“I’ll look under every rock,” Eppler promised, “inside (the organization) and outside.”

That’s the problem, of course. Any starting pitcher available right now belongs under a rock for a reason.

So, again, the Angels are reminded of their barren farm system, one generally ranked as the poorest in baseball.

They are reminded of Eppler’s decision in November to trade for shortstop Andrelton Simmons, a deal that cost them top pitching prospects Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis.

They are reminded of their ongoing fight to reach .500 with a lineup that hasn’t been dependable and a rotation that more and more is being strung together.

“It’s a circumstance that a lot of clubs go through, some more than others,” Eppler said, talking specifically about the injuries. “Sometimes the circumstances fall in your favor and sometimes they don’t. You just deal with it and move on.”

In the interest of moving on, why not ask about trading Trout, even if the possibility borders on blasphemy? That’s where this franchise appears to be today, in a tightening spot where absolutely everything should be considered.

Think about it. There might not be a player in baseball whose trade value could more quickly replenish an empty cupboard.

When considering the Angels’ future, the landscape can look as stark as the .198 average Albert Pujols carried into this game.

Now, for the record, I wouldn’t trade Mike Trout, either, in part because I wouldn’t want to go down in history as the guy who traded Mike Trout.

Regularly selling 3 million tickets a year, the Angels also have an obligation to give their fans something worth paying to see. In Trout, they fulfill that responsibility, with interest.

So, for now, it’s deal with it and move on, the Angels having plenty of time, even if they lack plenty of options.

See, this could be a season that’s still just starting. Then again, with the Angels, this could be a season that’s about to get very long.

Jeff Miller has been a sports columnist since 1998, having previously written for the Palm Beach Post, South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald. He began at the Register in 1995 as beat writer for the Angels.